Cromwell zoners table plan to ban gravel mining projects

CROMWELL -- The shear volume of people opposed to sand and gravel excavation projects in residential areas prompted the Planning and Zoning Commission to table a proposal to ban such projects Tuesday, allowing more people to speak on the controversia

JIM HICKEY

Published
12:00 am EDT, Thursday, August 29, 2002

It is estimated that more than 200 residents jammed into town hall Tuesday night, many of whom were members of the Save the Neighborhood group. The group is opposed to plans by Millane Nurseries to excavate as much as 250,000 cubic yards of sand and gravel from a 54-acre site between Field Road and Main Street.

According to several town officials, Tuesday's meeting saw one of the biggest turnouts of in recent memory. The municipal parking lot was jammed full with cars, and residents actually had to be moved to the first floor gymnasium to accommodate the large crowd.

The group had been seeking a zoning amendment that would ban all sand and gravel excavation projects in residential areas. Because the Millane Nurseries application has already been submitted, the group's amendment will not affect that particular project, but it will prevent Millane Nurseries from withdrawing and then resubmitting a revised application.

The Save the Neighborhood group was organized in October 2001 in protest of Millane Nurseries' initial plans to excavate as much as a million cubic yards of sand and gravel from a 56-acre site off Nooks Hill and Field roads.

Millane representatives indicated at the time that the excavation was needed to uncover more fertile soil lying 20 to 40 feet below the surface.

They said they intended to sell the sand and gravel excavated from their site, and the project could take 10 to 20 years.

Since that time, however, Millane has withdrawn its application twice, and is now proposing a radically different plan from the one outlined in the previous two applications. A newly revised plan was resubmitted to the town planning and zoning offices earlier this month, which called for the excavation of around 250,000 at an entirely new 54 acre site in between Main Street and Field Road.

The new site is just to the south of Edgewood Road, across the street from the Tournament Players Club.

Just after 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Stephen Parks proposed that the hearing by tabled until the commission's next meeting on Sept. 10. Representatives for Millane Nurseries were just preparing to discuss the proposed zoning amendment, and Parks said he wanted to give them plenty of time to speak.

The commission unanimously agreed to table the hearing until next month.